PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
After outcry over election travails, Gov. Scott urges early voting days be extended
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
Excerpt: Progress Florida: “Scott’s latest proposal doesn’t necessarily implement any additional early voting hours from what we saw last year,” the group said. “To avoid a repeat of last year’s election fiasco…we need to have at least 14 days and 12 hours per day of early voting for all Florida voters."
FEATURED
STORIES
Florida Supreme Court upholds law requiring state workers to contribute 3 percent of pay to state pension plan
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Related editorial: For state workers, a blow to the wallet and to confidence
In a major victory for Gov. Rick Scott, the Florida Supreme Court narrowly ruled against state workers in allowing the state to retain the 3 percent levy on their salaries to offset the state’s investment into the Florida Retirement System.
Researchers find Florida's election law disproportionately hurt minority voters
By Sean Kinane
WMNF Tampa
An elections law passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Scott two years ago disproportionately reduced the opportunity of African American voters to have their voices heard in the November 2012 election.
Gov. Rick Scott: No plans for gun-law changes
By David Royse
News Service of Florida
Gov. Rick Scott plans no proposals to change any Florida gun laws, a spokeswoman said Thursday, though he still wants to hear ideas for improving the safety of schools.
Protesters demand EPA impose pollution rules on Florida
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
The chanting echoed through the hotel: "EPA yes! DEP no!"
Rubio Outlines Elements of His New Immigration Plan
By Julia Preston
New York Times
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a Republican who is on a talking tour to publicize his proposals for an immigration overhaul, said on Thursday that tighter enforcement at the borders and in workplaces would be central to his plan, which would also offer legal status to millions of illegal immigrants.
BEST
OF THE BLOGS
Yes, Rick Scott Even Fired His Own Dog
By Martha Jackovics
Beach Peanuts
People always say if you want to know how someone will treat you, look at how they treat animals.
Marco Rubio: far off base on gun control issues
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
I've watched this happen before: a Miami-Dade elected official with aspirations to national office loses his way because he is not properly prepared to form his own judgments and succumbs instead to the narrow, parochial world view formed in West Miami.
Adena Springs water request still has big questions, says St John’s WMD
By Bruce Seaman
Daily Marion
When your latest attempt at a huge water permit gets a smack down like the one delivered last Friday to Adena Springs Ranch by St. John’s River Water Management District (SJRWMD), one has to wonder if the actual message being sent is to abandon this (really bad) idea.
They Way of the Gun
By Benjamin J. Kirby
The Spencerian
First, I know I've been writing a lot about guns lately. I believe continuing the conversation about our society and the safety of our children is worth it.
How Your School Vouchers Fund Schools That Teach Creationism
By Zack Beauchamp
Think Progress
Voucher programs are funneling millions of dollars to schools around the nation that teach creationism as science, according to new research by activist Zack Kopplin and MSNBC.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Senate starts over in quest to build a transparency website
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Determined to prove that legislators are committed to government transparency, a Senate committee convened Thursday to explore ways to give the public more details about the state’s $70 billion dollar budget.
Judge dismisses north Fla. voting fraud charges
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
A judge has thrown out charges against one defendant in a north Florida voting fraud case and defense lawyers on Thursday predicted that others would follow.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Sen. Bill Nelson hunts for big pythons — and a little publicity
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson really hates pythons.
Senate Committee hears about Kings Bay cleanup while environmentalists protest in Tampa
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A Senate committee on Thursday heard about a volunteer effort to remove algae from Kings Bay while some environmental groups used a federal hearing in Tampa to criticize the state on water quality.
EDUCATION
Teachers Union Responds To Supreme Court’s Pension Ruling
By Gina Jordan
StateImpact Florida
Teachers and other state workers will have to continue contributing 3 percent of their salary to their retirement.
Top education leader to universities: 'Being "good" is not good enough'
By Denise-Marie Ordway
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's public universities are performing well considering the drastic cuts in state funding they have suffered in recent years — and they are still a good value, one of the university system's top leaders stressed Thursday in his annual State of the System address.
PECO running dry as revenue source for universities
By James Call
Florida Current
Florida lawmakers face what one committee chairman calls an “extraordinary challenge” to pay for state university capital costs.
Gov. Rick Scott spoke to UF presidential candidate Woodson before asking Machen to stay
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times
We knew that Gov. Rick Scott helped convince University of Florida President Bernie Machen to postpone retirement.
Atheists, others want equal access to schools after Bible distribution
By Lauren Roth
Orlando Sentinel
A day after a Christian group distributed bibles to students inside 11 Orange County high schools, a group of atheists and secular humanists said they plan to hand out materials as well.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Florida TaxWatch calls for $1 billion savings
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
State government should move toward collecting the sales tax on Internet purchases, give state employees a bigger stake in their own health care and drop the "DROP" pension plan that lets workers stay on the job while collecting pensions.
Report: Travel expenses of Citizens executives exessive
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
A review by Florida’s chief inspector general contends that employees at the state-created Citizens Property Insurance racked up excessive travel expenses over an eight-month period.
Florida leads nation in foreclosure activity in 2012
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
Florida ended 2012 as the top state in the nation for foreclosure activity with a 53 percent increase in filings that some analysts predict could stifle the momentum of rising home prices.
Budget panel signs off on $60 million in foreclosure settlement funds
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
The Joint Legislative Budget Commission approved $60 million in foreclosure settlement funds Thursday to aid the state’s troubled housing market.
Senate panel searches for solutions to dwindling transportation revenue
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Florida’s reliance on fuel taxes to pay for transportation is unsustainable as vehicle fleets become more fuel efficient, cars travel farther with less gas and the state reaps less revenue.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Florida Health Care For State Workers Runs Afoul Of Obamacare
By Jeffrey Young
Huffington Post
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) and state legislators are really struggling with President Barack Obama's health care reform law.
Pair say new medical system could save $16 billion annually
By James Call
Florida Current
When Florida lawmakers arrived in Tallahassee for this week of committee meetings they were followed by two health care executives who say they have an idea to make a “real change” in the cost of health care.
CIVIL
RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Dr. King's Dream Remains Elusive in Florida
By Rhonda Swan
Florida Voices
Barack Obama is not the fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream.
Obama’s 2012 Operation Turns Over a New Leaf
By Jeff Zeleny
New York Times
The next act of President Obama’s campaign organization is starting to take shape, with his former campaign manager Jim Messina leading a plan to convert the operation into a new grass-roots lobbying effort. The first project: gun control legislation.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Judge rejects Legislature’s request to dismiss challenge to Senate redistricting plan
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
A Leon County judge has rejected a request from the Legislature to dismiss a challenge to a Senate redistricting plan approved last year, the first ruling in what could be a precedent-setting case under the new Fair Districts standards.
Legal dispute over 'Taj Mahal' artwork ends with payment approval
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A two-year legal dispute ended Thursday when the Legislative Budget Commission approved $514,884 in payment for framed artwork for the "Taj Mahal" courthouse for the 1st District Court of Appeals.
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